1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates to feedthroughs, in general, and in particular, to two-part, snap-together feedthroughs for enabling signals, e.g., electrical signals, to be conveyed from one side of a panel to the other side of the panel.
2. Related Art
In a number of fields, it is often necessary to convey a signal, e.g., an electrical signal, from one to the other side of a wall, barrier, tank or other boundary. For example, in the case of solar cell panels used on, e.g., orbital satellites and the like, the panels can be relatively thick (typically 1-3 cm), and can incorporate an electroconductive honeycomb core, e.g., aluminum, for strength and stiffness. One side of the panels can be populated with solar cells, while the opposite, or backside of the panels can incorporate circuitry and associated wiring, e.g., power and switching interconnects, for the cells. The wires conveying electrical signals between the cells and the backside circuitry typically pass through the panel, rather than around its edges, and therefore need to be protected from any sharp edges located within the panel and adjacent to the opening through which they pass.
Currently, interconnects between the front and back surfaces of the panel are made by inserting a piece of tubing cut to length slightly greater than the thickness of the panel. The tubing is then bonded to front and back faces of the panel. This approach has some drawbacks, in that it is laborious and time-consuming to implement, and incurs the risk of shorting the conductor(s) of the wire to the panel. Accordingly, a need exists in the industry for improved techniques for feedthroughs (e.g., including interconnects).